The present invention is directed to a device for carrying footwear, and more particularly to a waist pack for carrying in-line or other skates.
There has been an exploding interest in outdoor activities in recent times. Various new outdoor sports are now part of the daily lives of teenagers and adults alike. Some of these activities include roller blading, skate boarding, snow boarding, etc. While snow boarding and the like require a very specific environment and terrain and necessitate taking the time away from daily routine, other activities, such as roller blading, can be easily incorporated in a person's daily life. For example, many active roller blading participants frequently combine roller blading with daily routine activities, such as shopping at nearby malls, entertaining at local restaurants, and the like. Although it is very desirable to combine the roller blading activity with a trip to a nearby mall or restaurant, it poses a problem in that at the end of the roller blading activity, the skater must switch to regular walking shoes for the skates or roller blades, when walking, for example, inside a mall or restaurant, or the like. As a result, it is often necessary to carry an extra pair of regular or walking shoes while skating, and then carry the rather bulky skates when regular walking is resumed. Frequently, the skaters simply tie the shoe strings of the regular shoes together and sling the shoes over the shoulder. And, when the regular shoes are substituted for skates, the skates are somehow fastened together and either slung over the shoulder or carried in hands. The carrying of the regular shoes, or the skates over the shoulder or in hands, poses a problem as they interfere with free movement of the skater about the mall, restaurant, etc, and may lead to contamination of the skater's clothing due to any dirt that may have collected on the skates during the skating activity.
In addition, the carrying of the regular shoes over the shoulder interferes with a proper and safe participation in the skating activity since skating requires proper balance and movement of the arms and legs in coordination with each other to achieve an enjoyable and safe wheeling on the skates. It is therefore important and desirable to keep the skater's arms and shoulders free of any obstruction to achieve proper balance. Moreover, the free slinging of the shoes over the skater's shoulder may pose a threat to other skaters and non-skaters alike since skating, and in particular roller blading, is done on sidewalks, paved streets, or the like, and on occasion, at fairly high speeds.
Various devices for carrying skates and other sport equipment have been proposed in the art as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,428,074; 4,018,369; 4,337,883; 4,483,470; 4,863,083; 4,982,883; 5,285,939; 5,450,991; 5,456,353; 5,492,254; 5,509,589; 5,570,824; 5,582,337; 5,642,842; 5,664,719; 5,690,261; 5,785,220; 5,826,771; Des.361,889; and Des.382,110.
However, there remains a need in the industry for a waist pack for carrying footwear, particularly in-line or other skates, which allows a skater to comfortably carry either the regular footwear or the skates with minimal interference while engaging in both skating and non-skating activities.